Golf ball structure



April 24, 1962 D. R. STRAYE 3,031,194

GOLF BALL STRUCTURE Filed April 13.. 1959 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 805,823

6 Claims. (El. 273 213) This invention relates to a golf ball-structure,and, more particularly, to such a structure which is more nearly elasticby virtue of the inclusion therein of a continuous, substantiallyspherical layer of a metal, which metal layer is bonded or adhered to aresilient portion of the golf ball structure.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a new golf ballstructure.

It is a further object to provide such a structure which is more nearlyelastic, and is therefore superior to presently available structures ofthis type by virtue of the inclusion therein of a thin, continuous,substantially spherical layer of a metal bonded or adhered to aresilient portion of the structure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description whichfollows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which aFIG. 1 is a plan view of a golf ball structure according to theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, a golf ball structureaccording to the invention is indicated generally at ill. As can be seenin FIG. 1, the specific structure shown has the exterior contour of anordinary golf ball structure, being substantially spherical in shape andhaving a plurality of dimples 12 arranged in a regular pattern.

As can be seen in FIG. 2 however, the structure 11 includes, adhered tothe exterior of a conventional cover 13, usually made of balata gum, athin metal layer 14. Interior of the cover 13 is a second thin metallayer 15, which second layer is adhered to the exterior surface of asub-assembly 16, which sub-assembly comprises a resilient hollow core 17filled with a liquid 18 and'an intermediate, resilient layer 19 composedof lengths 20 of a flat, resilient, ribbon-like material wrapped uponthe exterior of the core 17. The resilient, liquid-filled core 17, theresilient, intermediate layer 19, and the balata gum cover 13 of thegolfball structure according to the invention are conventionally used inproducing golf ball structures, and need not herein be described indetail, as any available core, intermediate resilient layer and covercan be employed in producing a golf ball structure according to theinvention. A thin, continuous, substantially spherical metal layer 21 isalso provided on the exterior of the liquid-filled resilient core 1'7.

Each of the thin, continuous, generally spherical metal layers 14, and21 in the golf ball structure of FIGS. 1 and 2 can conveniently beapplied by a vacuum metalizing technique. When the part of the structureon which such a layer is to be applied is of an appropriate chemicalcomposition, the metal layer can be applied directly thereto. When suchpart of the structure is chemically unsuitedto receive a metal layer,such part can be coated with a metallizable film, for example of asuitable synthetic'resinous material. Numerous commercially availablesynthetic resinous materials, particularly various epoxides, are knownto be suitable for use in applying coatings, which when hardened, arereadily metalizable, and are admirably suited for this purpose, whendesired or required.

The following example is presented solely for the purpose of furtherillustrating and disclosing the inven- Patented Apr. 24', 1962 tion, andis in no way to be construed as a limitation thereon.

Example A conventional golf ball core which is a substantiallyspherical, resilient solid body of a styrene-butadiene copolymer rubberfilled with a water-glycerin solution is introduced into a chamberevacuated to a pressure of approximately /2 micron of water absolute.Tungsten filaments within the evacuated chamber are then heatedelectrically to heat, melt, and evaporate or flash aluminum clipsdisposed within the chamber, and the golf ball core is rotated slowlyand moved upwardly and downwardly to assure a uniform deposition of thealuminum vapor thereon. Heating of the tungsten filaments is continueduntil the desired coverage of aluminum is achieved, usually for fromabout /2 minute to about 2 minutes, and then stopped; evacuation of thechamber is then terminated and a vacuum seal broken. The golf ball corecarrying a uniform, continuous, generally spherical coating of aluminum,which coating is approximately 0.000004 inch in thickness, is removedfrom the chamber.

A fiat, or ribbon-like, styrene-butadiene synthetic rubber stripapproximately wide and ,4 4 thick is then wound upon the metalized golfball core to produce a generally spherical sub-assembly comprising themetalized core (diameter approximately 1') and an adjacent, exteriorresilient layer made up of the synthetic rubber strip. The diameter ofthis sub-assembly is approximately 1 /2". The sub-assembly is thenplaced in the evacuated chamber and metalizcd according to the proceduredescribed above in the preceding paragraph to provide a generallyspherical, continuous aluminum coating adhered to the exterior thereof.The aluminum coating, again, is approximately 0.000004 inch inthickventional manner well known to those skilled in the art. A thincoating of an epoxy resin 1 is then sprayed onto the surface of thecured balata gum cover, and allowed to air dry at an ambient temperatureof approximately 25 C. for 24 hours. The assembly after air drying, isthen metalized' according to the procedure described above to provide athird aluminum coating approximately 0.000004 inch in thickness. Aftercompletion of the metalizing, a second coating of the same epoxy resinis sprayed onto the metalized surface and allowed to air dry underambient conditions of about 25 C. for 24 hours. The resulting product,after the final air drying, constitutes an improved golf ball structureaccording to the invention.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing example that a preferredstructure according to the invention comprises a resilient,substantially spherical core, a layer of a metal having a thickness ofthe order of about 0.000005 inch (i.e., closer in thickness to 0.000005inch than to either 0.0000005 inch or 0.00005 inch) adhered'to the core,an intermediate resilient layer exterior of the metal coating, theexterior of the intermediate layer'being generally spherical in shape, asecond, generally spherical, continuous coating of a metal'of the orderof about 0.000005 inch in thickness adhered to the intermediateresilient epoxy composition. is mixed with 15 parts of tridimethyl aminomethyl phenol per parts of resin.

arr-31,194

layer, a cover surrounding, and in close proximity to the second metallayer, and a generally spherical, substantially continuous coating of ametal adhered to the cover and having a thickness of the order of about0.000005 inch. Preferably, there is, intermediate the third metalcoating and the cover, a synthetic resinous coating, and, mostdesirably, the structure includes a synthetic resinous coatingintermediate the cover and the third metal layer, and, also, a secondsynthetic resinous coating exterior of the third metal coating. Epoxycoating compositions are ideal as each of the two synthetic resinouscoatings.

It will be apparent that the bright, silvery appearance of the visiblealuminum layer in a preferred golf ball structure according to theinvention is not only decorative, but also facilitates finding a lostball, and that the aluminum can be coated with a colored material, ifdesired, to give any other desired decorative effect. In such case, thealuminum brightens the appearance of the colored material.

Each of the metal layers or coatings in the golf ball structure producedas described in the foregoing example makes the golf ball approach morenearly an elastic condition when subjected to compression, as duringuse. It is Well known that natural and synthetic rubbers, while they arepopularly considered to be elastic, and are such in the sense that theycan be stretched by a tensile force and will, upon release of thetensile force, return to approximately their original condition,approach true elasticity far less closely than do most metals. It isbelieved, in retrospect, that the improved characteristics of a golfball structure according to the invention are attributable to anunexpected cooperative effect between each of the generally spherical,thin metal layers therein and the resilient, but relatively poor elasticcharacteristics of the material to which such layer is adhered, theresult of such cooperation being a greater reactive force when a golfball structure according to the invention is subjected to a givenimpact. It will be appreciated, therefore, that, while a preferredstructure according to the invention includes all three of the disclosedmetal layers, it is essential for the cooperative action only that therebe one such metal layer,

' and that the one layer can be exterior of the core, exterior of thewinding, or exterior of the cover. While a thickness of the order ofabout 0.000005 inch has been disclosed as preferred, thicker metallayers, in most cases up to about 0.0005 inch, may also be used.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications can be madefrom the specific details set forth herein, without departing from thespirit and scope of the attached claims.

What I claim is:

1. A golf ball structure comprising a generally spherical, resilientcore having a generally spherical exterior surface, a continuous layerof aluminum having a thickness of about 0.000005 inch adhered to saidexterior surface, an intermediate layer of a resilient material disposedaround and in close proximity to said metal layer, said intermediatelayer having a generally spherical exterior surface, a second layer ofaluminum having a thickness of the order of about 0.000005 inch adheredto the exterior of said intermediate resilient layer, a resilient coverdisposed around and in close proximity to said second aluminum layer, ahardened epoxy coating adhered to the exterior surface of said cover, athird aluminum layer having a thickness of about 0.000005 inch adheredto the exterior of said hardened epoxy coating, and a second epoxycoating layer adhered to the exterior of said third aluminum layer.

2. A golf ball structure comprising a generally spherica-l, resilientcore having a generally spherical exterior surface, a continuous layerof a metal having a thickness of about 0.000005 inch adhered to saidexterior surface, an intermediate layer of a resilient material disposedaround and in close proximity to said metal layer, said intermediatelayer having a generally spherical exterior surface, a second layer of ametal having a thickness of the order of about 0.000005 inch adhered tothe exterior of said intermediate resilient layer, a resilient coverdisposed around and in close proximity to said second metal layer, ahardened epoxy coating adhered to the exterior surface of said cover, athird layer of a metal having a thickness of about 0.000005 inch adheredto the exterior of said hardened epoxy coating, and a second epoxycoating layer adhered to the exterior of said third metal layer.

3. A golf ball structure comprising a generally spherical, resilientcore having a generally spherical exterior surface, a continuous layerof a metal having a thickness of about 0.000005 inch adhered to saidexterior surface, an intermediate layer of a resilient material disposedaround and in close proximity to said metal layer, said intermediatelayer having a generally spherical exterior surface, a second layer of ametal having a thickness of the order of about 0.000005 inch adhered tothe exterior of said intermediate resilient layer, a resilient coverdisposed around and in close proximity to said second metal layer, ahardened synthetic resinous coating adhered to the exterior surface ofsaid cover, a third layer of a metal having a thickness of about0.000005 inch adhered to the exterior of said hardened resinous coating,and a second synthetic resinous coating layer adhered to the exterior ofsaid third metal layer.

4. A golf ball structure comprising a generally spherical,

resilient core having a generally spherical exterior surface, acontinuous layer of a metal having a thickness of about 0.000005 inchadhered to said exterior surface, an intermediate layer of a resilientmaterial disposed around and in close proximity to said metal layer,said intermediate layer having a generally spherical exterior surface,and a resilient cover disposed around and in close proximity to saidintermediate layer.

5. A golf ball structure comprising a resilient core having a generallyspherical exterior surface, an intermediate layer of a resilientmaterial disposed around and in close proximity to said resilient core,said intermediate layer having a generally spherical exterior surface, aresilient cover disposed around and in close proximity to saidintermediate layer, and having a generally spherical exterior surface,and layers of a metal having a thickness of about 0.000005 of an inchadhered to at least two of said generally spherical exterior surfaces,both of said metal layers being continuous throughout the entire gen-.erally spherical exterior surface to which they are adhered.

6. A golf ball structure comprising a resilient core having a generallyspherical exterior surface, an intermediate layer of a resilientmaterial disposed around and in close proximity to said resilient core,said intermediate layer having a generally spherical exterior surface, aresilient cover disposed around and in close proximity to saidintermediate layer, and having a generally spherical exterior surface,and layers of a metal having a thickness from 0.000005 inch to 0.0005inch adhered to at least two of said generally spherical exteriorsurfaces, each of said metal layers being continuous throughout theentire exterior surface to which it is adhered.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS716,348 Richards Dec. 16, 1902 1,182,604 Wadsworth May 9, 1916 1,568,514Lewis Jan. 5, 1926 2,861,810 Veatch Nov. 25, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES EpoxyResins, published 1957 by McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., pages 216, 222,265, 286 cited.

Epoxy Resins, published by Reinhold Publishing Corp., pages 182, 199,202, 203 cited.

